


i could be everything you want me to and more

by bemynewobsession



Category: Harlots (TV)
Genre: F/F, Internalized Homophobia, Pining, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:42:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bemynewobsession/pseuds/bemynewobsession
Summary: Set between 2x04 and 2x05. Harcourt decides to pull a horrible prank on both Isabella and Charlotte by buying Charlotte for the night but for Isabella instead of himself.





	i could be everything you want me to and more

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haiplana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haiplana/gifts).



> I have no joke THREE other works in progress for these guys but I saw a prompt for this on tumblr and couldn't help myself. BTW this completely follows canon as far as their first time being together being 2x06. There is no sex in this. There is not even any kissing. It's just a soft scene between our two favorite ladies. It also serves as an explanation for why Isabella went from seemingly in denial and not wanting to admit her attraction to women/Charlotte to being receptive to Charlotte's advances in 2x06. (Also this is for you Cara since you were the one who gave me the prompt)

Isabella Fitzwilliam had had a long day. Her brother decided to host an entire day of parties with all the _beau monde_ in the area it seemed. And Harcourt never allowed Isabella to retire early from such get togethers. Oh no, she was to be paraded around as his doll, lying and charming her way into the likes of all the lords and ladies he wanted her to impress. Like she had been since her father died.

 

At least the day had not been as dreadful as the day before. Isabella raised a hand to her forehead and rubbed in frustration as she recalled the card party he had hosted. She had invited Charlotte Wells and Lydia Quigley to it, hoping to further Lydia’s trust in Charlotte. Isabella knew that to begin to bring Dame Death down, she needed to feel that Charlotte was on her side completely.

 Of course the plan turned upside down and back fired for both of them as Charlotte was forced to lay with her brother again and Isabella had made the foolish mistake of introducing the Lord Chief Justice and Mrs. Quigley. Isabella had groaned internally at the sight of the Justice fawning over the bitch at the end of the party.

 Yet, both days were over. Isabella sat in front of her vanity in her nightgown to let her natural hair out of its plait, letting it flow down her back in curly waves. Her ladies’ maid had already done her duties for the night so Isabella was left alone finally in peace in her own bedroom. She moved to go into her private library the next room over to select a book to read before going to sleep.

 When she came back into her bedroom, she dropped her book in shock at the sight on her bed. Charlotte Wells sat on it. Naked. Blindfolded. Hands bound. Isabella simply stood mouth agape for a solid minute, blinking over and over again, thinking that the image before her was a puerile hallucination.

 “M-ms. Wells?!” Charlotte herself gasped at the sound of Isabella’s voice. She moved her clearly not tightly bound hands to rip the blindfold off of her eyes. She looked twice as shocked as Isabella felt. “L-lady Fitz..you..I..”

 They stared at each other for a moment before Isabella finally tore her eyes from the sight in front of her and turned around to face the door into her library. She addressed Charlotte whilst facing the door so as to not look at her naked figure. “Ms. We-wells. Wh-why are you here?” Her voice was shaking, barely able to contain the absolute mortification at the situation at hand.

 “Uh..well..you see. Your brother came to Golden Square tonight. Paid 150 guineas to take me to his estate to have his way with me.” Isabella could hear the tremors in Charlotte’s voice as well. “When we got here, he said he had some sort of game he wanted to play. He asked me to undress then blindfolded me and bound my hands and led me around.” Isabella wrung her hands in frustration. Her brother and his incessant jokes and _games_ with her were grating enough, but to involve Charlotte in them as well?

 “We waited a few moments before he pulled me into the door and placed me on this bed. He then said he was going to leave and that he had a surprise guest in store for me.” Isabella flushed further. _Surprise indeed._

 

“Guess I assumed he was goin’ to bring some other man in. Wouldn’t be the first time some rich cull wanted to share me with a friend.” Isabella felt sick to her stomach at the younger woman’s words. She could scarcely imagine Charlotte with her brother, much less with her brother and one of his equally vile friends.

 “I...uh..guess he wanted to surprise you instead?” Isabella suddenly felt the urge to bang her head on the door in frustration. She simply leaned forward and placed her head on the wood. She took a deep breath before speaking.

 “Ms. Wells, my brother believes me to have some sort of unnatural obsession or lust for you. This is some sort of practical joke on his behalf to embarrass the both of us.” There was a gentle hand at her shoulder, Isabella turned around to the sight of Charlotte standing before her with a soft sympathy in her eyes. She was also still quite naked. Isabella drew her hand to cover her eyes.

 “Ms. Wells would you please be so kind as to cover yourself?”

 

“Why? Your brother’s already paid me to spend the night. Why waste his money?” Isabella could hear the smirk in Charlotte’s voice.

 “Ms. Wells--I” Isabella struggled to find her words. The younger woman was standing close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of her naked body. “Ms. Wells. We are--friends are we not?”

 “Yes and?” Isabella pulled her hand off of her eyes and forced herself to look at Charlotte’s face and not her body. A mistake still. The younger woman’s eyes were flirtatious, even more coquettish and lustful than they had been the day Isabella had visited her at Golden Square.

 Isabella sputtered and stammered a few sounds before managing to spit out “I-I would like to not tarnish that friendship by bedding you for money. I respect your job and the freedom it grants you as a woman, but I..” She trailed off. Unable to find the words to further explain why she could not be touched by someone. She coughed to fill the silence and to avert her eyes again from the younger woman’s body. “Besides, we are both women.”

“Oh. I-I’m sorry Lady Fitz, it was not my intention to upset you.” Isabella looked back into Charlotte’s eyes. Gone was the lustful gaze that had been fixed upon her before, it was replaced by sympathy and understanding. The younger woman’s eyes flicked around for a moment. “Well. Have you got anything for me to wear?”

 Isabella looked at the younger woman a moment longer than she should have. She could not resist the vision of Charlotte’s face framed by the candlelight of her room. She blinked away her perverse thoughts and responded. “My clothing closet is behind the door by my bed. I should have a second clean nightgown in it.”

 Charlotte moved towards the closet and Isabella’s eyes were drawn to the backside of the younger woman’s body. She turned around again to allow the woman some privacy in getting dressed.

 “Lady Fitz? You don’t mind if I stay here the night do you? Ol’ Dame Death will be quite angry if I returned tonight. On account of her bein' there when I promised your brother I’d be spending the entire night 'ere.” Isabella froze momentarily. She had not considered Charlotte’s sleeping arrangements. “Of course not Ms. Wells. I can find-” Her voice trailed off as she turned around.

 

She was going to suggest that they find Charlotte a separate bedroom for the night but the younger woman was already lying on Isabella’s bed. To one side to allow room for Isabella herself, but still on Isabella’s bed nonetheless.

 Isabella swallowed heavily. Her heart had not stopped racing since the moment she saw the younger woman on her bed a few minutes earlier, and it would likely not stop racing long enough for her to sleep.

 “Well? You’re goin’ to join me aren’t you? This is your bed right? Certainly big enough for two people.” The younger woman made it sound as if she was asking Isabella to join her for tea.

 Isabella walked towards her bed slowly, as if she were walking on broken glass. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, but she could feel Charlotte’s gaze on her the whole way.

 “Which side do you prefer?” Isabella looked up at the younger woman in confusion, swallowing heavily again at the sight of Charlotte’s exquisite figure draped across Isabella’s bed. _A goddess._ It was what her brother had once referred to Charlotte as. Though Isabella was loathe to share an opinion of any sort with her brother, his description was more than apt.  

 

“I-I’m sorry?”

 

“Of the bed Lady Fitz. Which side of the bed would you prefer to sleep on?” Isabella blushed in embarrassment. “Oh. It matters not to me. You may sleep however you like Ms. Wells.”

 Isabella crawled onto the bed tentatively and laid her body down painfully slowly. She kept as much distance between herself and Charlotte as possible. One of her legs was nearly falling off of the bed.

 They both laid in silence for ten or so minutes. Neither made a pretense of attempting to sleep.

 

“Lady Fitz?” Isabella turned her head to look at the younger woman in her bed. Charlotte had her head propped up on one elbow, her eyes trained on Isabella’s. “Yes Ms. Wells?” Charlotte smiled at her gently. “You look as though you are about to fall off of the bed. You can move closer to me. I promise not to bite. Much.”

 Isabella inched closed by a miniscule. She turned her head in time to watch Charlotte roll her eyes. The younger woman grasped her by the arm and pulled gently, Isabella made an embarrassing sound of indignation. Once Charlotte was done moving her, there was still a fair amount of space between them, but Isabella could now feel the heat from Charlotte’s body. Isabella closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing.

 “Lady Fitz?” Isabella sighed softly and turned to face Charlotte again. The younger woman was still propped up on an elbow as she had been before. Still looking at Isabella with curious eyes. The lessened space between them made it so Isabella could now fully appreciate the softness of Charlotte’s expression.

 

“What were you referring to before, when you said we could not lay together because we are both women?” Isabella’s mouth dropped open slightly. What was Charlotte getting at?

 “Ms. Wells, you know as well as I that two women knowing one another, it simply isn’t done. It isn’t...natural.” Charlotte chuckled softly and gave Isabella a gentle, knowing smile. “Lady Fitz. We are lyin' next to each other in a bed with nothing on but nightgowns. You can call me 'Charlotte' if you like.”

 Isabella blushed slightly at Charlotte’s words. To call the woman by her first name would bring another level of intimacy to their relationship. But she could not say that the woman was wrong about their situation. “Charlotte.” How wonderful it felt to allow the younger woman’s Christian name to cross her lips. “When we are alone, you may call me Isabella if _you like_.” Charlotte grinned further.

 The younger woman went on to speak again. “You know, Isabella.” Charlotte seemed to relish being able to refer to Isabella in such an informal way as well. “I have laid with women before.” Isabella sucked in a hard breath. “Y-yes but you..you are.” “A harlot? A courtesan? That doesn’t change anything. There are other women who prefer the company of other women in their beds. The same with men.”

 Isabella fixed the younger woman with a surprised gaze. “Charlotte. You know I have bear no disrespect for your profession. And I do not look upon you with any sort of disdain because you are of a lower class but…” There was suddenly a soft hand on her cheek. Isabella trailed off as Charlotte looked at her with the most caring eyes she had ever seen directed at her before.

 “Isabella. I know what desire looks like. I know what attraction looks like. And I know that you are attracted to me.” Isabella’s heart suddenly pounded in her chest, blood rushed in her ears. She could not move. She could not speak. She could only stare in mortified shock at the younger woman. When Charlotte continued to speak, her voice dropped to a low and compassionate tone, her thumb still gently rubbing against Isabella’s cheek.

 “There is nothing wrong with that Isabella. There is nothing unnatural about attraction or desire for other women. I know you may think it some lower class sin that only the lowest of the low would dare to stoop to. But I can tell you that you cannot choose who you love or are attracted to.” Isabella’s heart continued to beat so hard she thought she may faint. The validation of years of longing and desire for other women was suddenly right in front of her.

 “It is not wrong or unnatural in some way for you to be attracted to me. For you to want to touch me. Be with me. Would it cause an enormous scandal? Well. Yes, on many levels. But you should not feel ashamed or embarrassed for your feelings that are in no way wrong or perverse.” Isabella could feel her eyes welling up with tears and all at once she felt herself sobbing in sudden relief.

 Charlotte leaned forward and gently kissed the top of Isabella’s forehead. There was nothing sexual to her touch. The younger woman’s lips upon her head were soothing. The hand upon her cheek filled her with nothing but warmth and comfort. That hand suddenly moved to the nape of her neck and moved her head to Charlotte’s bosom.

 

Charlotte continued to make reassuring and comforting sounds as she rubbed Isabella’s back gently, her cheek laid gently on Isabella’s head. Isabella continue to sob embarrassingly for probably 20 minutes or so. The younger woman’s consolatory movements and soothing feminine scent eventually calmed Isabella down long enough for her to pull away from Charlotte.

 “Isabella, I should like to actually sleep now. Will you be alright?” Isabella sniffled slightly and gave a watery smile. “I suppose I shall.” Charlotte leaned forward again and gave another soothing kiss on Isabella’s cheek.

 “Sweet dreams Isabella.” “You as well Charlotte.”

 

Isabella fell asleep quite quickly after that. No longer fearful of what she had so long thought of unnatural desire for Charlotte and tired from her long and now emotional day.

 

 

When she awoke the next morning, it was to Charlotte rousing her. “Isabella.” The younger woman shook her shoulder. “I am readying to leave. Quigley likes me to be back earlier enough to entertain morning culls.” Isabella sat up in bed, her long hair trailing behind her. She did not notice the soft gasp that escaped the younger woman’s lips at the sight.

 “Please. Allow me to become decent and I will walk you out.” She moved to her closet and quickly swapped her nightgown for a chemise and stays, throwing on a very basic dress. She sat down at her vanity to brush her hair to pull it into a low ponytail.

 Soft hands were suddenly grasped her own. “May I?” Isabella nodded dumbly. Charlotte brushed her hair gently and then sat the brush down to pull Isabella’s hair into a low plait. “Your natural hair is much darker than I had imagined I must admit.” The younger woman murmured softly as her deft hands finished the plait.

 “Oh? How so?” Isabella stood and they walked to the bedroom door together. “Well, most women your age that I know are already beginning to show the silver in their hair. And your usual wigs are a most distinct shade of black.”

 Isabella chuckled softly. They continued down the stairs and into the foyer. “Ms. Wells, I do believe you are calling me old.” Charlotte gasped in fake shock. “Oh Lady Fitz I would _never._ ” They reached the door leading outside of the estate. “But I still stand by what I said that you are of the age that women begin to gray. Your natural beauty is truly a sight to behold.” Isabella flushed at the younger woman’s flattery.

 Charlotte leaned in to Isabella conspiratorially when her hand touched the handle of the door leading outside.  “I shall see you soon Lady Fitz.” The younger woman gave another peck to Isabella’s cheek before opening the door and moving down the stairs leading up to the manor quickly.

 

Isabella raised a hand to the cheek Charlotte had just kissed. She smiled softly.

 “What in all of hell are you wearing Izzy? And why is your hair like that?” Isabella rolled her eyes before turning around and glaring at her brother. “I was simply escorting Ms. Wells out.” Harcourt’s eyes widened in almost imperceptible shock. “Oh? You enjoyed your surprise then?”

 Isabella moved passed him and up the stairs to her room, turning to deliver her a last few words to her brother. “Oh dear brother, I _relished_ it.” She found herself quite satisfied with the indignation that came across her brother’s face.

  


 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr @artemisodinson and please comment about your thoughts


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